George Mason Constitutional Convention

The conclusion of the convention should bring me solace but I find that it only brings me distress for the future of our country. I do not believe that we established a wise and just government. I believe that this government is destined to either become a monarchy or fall into the hands of a corrupt and oppressive aristocracy. Granting the plan we decided upon is superior to The Articles. The Articles of Confederation was a government that should have never been thought up. There were too many weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation. Congress had an extremely difficult time passing laws due to the fact that 9 of the 13 states had to agree before any laws could be passed. Since there was no president or an executive branch, there was no way to make sure that laws passed by Congress were carried out. There were no courts to interpret laws or to judge those that broke them because a national court system did not exist. To make matters worse, changing the Articles of Confederation was nearly impossible. A unanimous vote of all 13 states was required before any changes could be made and having that happen was nigh impossible. Not only was there a problem with the laws but congress did not have the power to collect the taxes needed to pay for the expenses of the national government! Congress could ask for money, yet it had no power to force the states into paying them. Without money, Congress could not pay the nation's debt nor could it provide government programs and services. Another Problem under the Articles was that the national government could not control trade between the states or with foreign nations. Each state regulated its own trade, which resulted in many disputes among the states and with other nations as well. In addition, most states made their own money. Without a constant national currency, trading was a difficult process. The Articles made each state act like a small, separate nation. The people of each state saw themselves as citizens